No matter the month, Duxbury Beach seemed to be the center of attention, from the presence of plovers and bacteria, to the public debates over the operation of the land, to how many residents and non-residents should be allowed on the sand.

The buzz over 40B proposals heated up, with some moving forward and some withdrawing, but all getting a healthy dose of public input.

Regarding town finances, July brought bad news for FY 04 and December saw several town departments facing cuts for FY 05.  Town voters went to town meeting to correct the health care deficit of $1.3 million and came out telling town officials and the Duxbury Housing Authority to keep working on affordable housing on the Delano property.

The latter months of 2003 also had us saying hello to “King Caesar” Ezra Weston, Jr. after a 150-year absence in town as well as the Dowling family who came to Duxbury after a 15,000-mile trek across the sea.  We also said goodbye to Captain Roger Jarvis, who began his own journey of the waterways in September as well as the Grand Union, whose maiden voyage in Duxbury was a rocky one to say the least.

The fall months also saw an increased police presence at Duxbury’s schools following three threats by still anonymous sources but also saw the community come together in its reaction.  Law enforcement officers from nearly half a dozen area towns converged on Duxbury along with a swarm of media to search for a carjacker in October.

Whether good or bad, the last half of 2003 was definitely full of comings and goings in town.

<b>JULY</b>

The middle of summer brought some harsh financial news from the state in the form of a 15 percent cut in local aid to Duxbury.  Town Manager Rocco Longo said that $731,498 was cut, but that the town prepared for such a setback thanks to advanced notice by legislators during the winter.

The plovers’ presence on Duxbury Beach caused few problems in terms of partial closures, but the real issue became crowding on the beach with everyone with a sticker trying to get on at the same time.  An unusually large amount of seaweed also brought with it a foul odor and bugs to the beach as well as some complaints to selectmen about the problem.

Towards the end of the month, the Conservation Commission decided to review orders of condition for the beach, a document that hadn’t been reviewed in five years.  The orders outline the regulations that the beach’s owners, the Duxbury Beach Reservation, must follow.

Rejecting a recommendation of dismissal by Duxbury Police Chief Mark DeLuca, Longo suspended officer Cully Rossi six months without pay for failing to report to duty.   Rossi had not worked since Christmas of 2002, when he left the police station after being ordered by a superior to work Christmas Day.  Rossi’s attorney maintained his client was unable to work due to hypertension and stress caused by the superior.

Rossi was due to report to work July 9, but did not as his attorney said he was sick and would show up only after he received medical clearance.

Nearly one hundred residents filed into the Mural Room at Town Hall for the first public hearing on the Duxbury Farms 40B development.  Both residents of Duxbury and Pembroke came to voice overwhelming skepticism regarding the 66-unit project, filed under the state’s “anti-snob” zoning act.  Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Pro Tem Thomas McClure had to quiet the crowd several times during the meeting for unsolicited comments on the presentation.

Meanwhile, days after one 40B application for the Forest Green condominiums was withdrawn, another 40B project was submitted to the town.  Duxbury  Crossing would include 60 units with fifteen earmarked as “affordable” and spans the Duxbury and Marshfield border.  The proposal is still in front of the ZBA and Planning Board for review.

Also on the zoning front, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office approved the town’s adoption of the comprehensive zoning bylaw changes known as CPZBIC.  The AG’s office made only three minor deletions to the amendments adopted at March Annual Town Meeting.

A suspicious fire at the Chandler School claimed only a burnt table as police and firefighters believe the incident was a case of arson.  A week later, things got hot at the Duxbury Police Station as a lightning strike damaged electronics and communications systems in the building.

In better news, after a dedicated fundraising effort by the town’s playground committee, the new Ellison Playground made its official debut and has been entertaining both young and old since its unveiling.

<b>AUGUST</b>

Land and construction issues continued to dominate the headlines in August as the month began with another 40B proposal in town.  The proposed 13.9-acre Brewster Commons development off Woodridge and Bay Farm roads would contain 52 condominiums with 13 “affordable” units.  This newest proposal brought the number of 40Bs before Duxbury’s land boards to three.

Meanwhile, plans for a commercial development at 104 Tremont St. brought criticism from the Planning Board who still issued a special permit recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals.  The 6,750-square foot building proposed a South Shore Savings bank branch with three drive-thru lanes, a dry cleaner and one or two other retail operations.  Board members listed traffic impact and density of the site as reasons for concern with the project proposed by Viking Development Corporation.

Administrators from the town’s land use departments approached selectmen about increasing fees rather than facing drastic budget cuts given the difficult fiscal environment.  Representatives from the planning, conservation and inspectional services offices cited the rapid rate of development in town and an increased workload that required all the staff they could handle to avoid delays in the permitting and inspections process.

On a smaller construction note, the Friends of the Duxbury Animal Shelter, the DPW and police continued work to bring a new animal shelter to Duxbury.  Modeled after the new Kingston Animal Shelter, the building will most likely open in spring 2004 behind town offices and the First Pilgrim Church.

The presence of bacteria on the beachfront was an unwelcome sight, shutting down Shipyard Lane Beach for two days in mid-August.  This was the first time in around five years a Duxbury beach was closed due to bacteria, likely due to heavy rainfall the previous week.

At the end of the month, a fierce electrical storm swept through the town, focusing its damage on a small area near the Marshfield border.  In addition to downed trees and several lightning strikes, the storm knocked a tree over onto a car on Parting Rock Road and trapped neighbor John Gannon in his shed for 15 minutes while he was trying to get a flashlight for his home.

<b>SEPTEMBER</b>

Mother Nature continued to turn her eye to Duxbury as many residents braced for the worst with the threat of Hurricane Isabel coming to the Northeast.  Duxbury’s public safety officials put measures in place for the potential of high winds and rains of the storm.  In the end, however, citizens got a rainy day with some occasional gusts as the storm lost strength as it came towards New England.

A storm of skepticism came as more feedback was heard from citizens and the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Viking Development Corporation’s plans for a commercial building on Tremont Street.  Both the public and ZBA members echoed the Planning Board’s concerns from August regarding traffic impact of the new building as well as the size of the building on the lot proposed.

Viking is currently in the process of redesigning their site plan for presentation to both land boards later this month.

News of a 2000 textbook that included School Counsel Robert Fraser and former DHS Principal Wayne Ogden among its authoring team raised some eyebrows by at least one school committee member.   John Magnarelli said that the problem was the appearance of a conflict of interest in Fraser’s involvement in the spring investigation into disciplinary actions by administrators, including Ogden.

Department heads continued presentations of their budgets before selectmen in September, with the heads of the library and recreation department indicating that a 10 percent budget cut would mean library and pool closures among other things.  School officials also warned of layoffs, cuts and increased fees during their presentation to the group.

September was also a big month for traveling in and out of Duxbury.

On the second anniversary of September 11, 2001, local tailor and Afghan native Razia Jan headed to Washington D.C. to present military officials with two quilts she made to remember the victims of that tragic day.  Jan was invited to a ceremony at the Pentagon, where she presented the quilts during a military ceremony in the chapel, one of the first areas impacted by the airplane strike.

Meanwhile, Duxbury also met the Dowlings, who came to town by sea.  Parents Jeff and Melanie traveled 15,000 miles from their home in England in their 47-foot sailing yacht to come to town to live and raise their three sons.  The five Dowlings spent over a year on their boat seeing sights around the world before finally landing in Duxbury Bay on September 26.

Along with freshmen entering Duxbury High School, new principal John McCarthy also started his first year at the school.  Hired in May, McCarthy came to town after five years as headmaster at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, Vermont.

Another new arrival in town was The Cloud Dweller, by local author Robert Hale.  A work ten years in the making, Dweller has remained a bestseller at Westwinds Bookshop since its release.

September also saw two big moves.  After 33 years of fighting fires in town, Fire Chief William Harriman told selectmen he would retire in the spring of 2004.  Harriman said the decision was a tough one, but that the town had been very good to him over the years.

Over at Goose Point, a local couple moving to Boston sold their 15-acre estate on Standish St. for $10 million, making it not only the highest sale in Duxbury history, but also on the South Shore.  A New York businessman and his wife purchased the estate, which includes a beach house, a restored guesthouse that dates back to the 1660s as well as a 15-room main house.

Towards the end of the month, spectators of all ages flocked to Bay Road to get a glimpse of a dolphin that swam into Island Creek.  After spending most of the morning swimming around the creek, the animal died from what officials from the New England Aquarium later said was a result of pneumonia.

In happier aquatic news, former Duxbury music teacher Roger Jarvis and his wife, Sandi, set sail aboard their 34-foot catamaran, the Jazz, to circumnavigate the Eastern United States.  Jarvis said the trip was a long-time dream of his and is currently checking in with Alden teacher John Donovan’s fourth grade class on his travels, interacting with them via a laptop computer, e-mail and a web cam.

<b>OCTOBER</b>

Selectmen announced that a Special Town Meeting would be held in November to settle a $1.3 million deficit in the town’s health insurance fund.  The state’s department of revenue told town officials that voters had to agree to move free cash to cover the debt, hence the need for an assembly.

School officials were pleased with the town’s MCAS results, yet recognized room for improvement.  Ninety-three percent of tenth graders earned their competency determination by passing both the English and math exams, but failure rates on both tests each increased three percent.  Assistant Superintendent John Kerrigan said the school system is working with this year’s test results to ensure students at every grade taking the MCAS exam meet their potential in the future.

After months of discussion, selectmen adopted revised regulations for the town’s three shared septic systems at the Blue Fish River, Snug Harbor and Bay Road.  The update was to better define user charges for both system construction and operation costs. Selectmen also announced that abutters to the Webster Point 40B project on the Duxbury/Marshfield line had reached an agreement with the developer on a smaller version of the development.  The new plans, unveiled by Delphic Associates, calls for 16 single-family homes rather than 20 in Duxbury and another 24 new homes in Marshfield and were seen as more acceptable to the Marshfield and Duxbury Neighborhood Association.

In other 40B news, nearly 20 residents showed up at a ZBA public hearing to voice their concerns and opposition to the Duxbury Farms project at the intersection of Valley, Franklin and High streets.  The 66-unit project was presented by developer Michael Intoccia, who neighbors thought was misleading them and the ZBA regarding his intentions for the townhouses, which he said would be for residents over the age of 55.

Intoccia’s group is set to come before the ZBA today for continued talks with the town.

Planning Board member David Matthews announced his resignation from the group citing new responsibilities with his job at Fleet Bank. The board and selectmen are set to appoint a temporary member on January 26.

Citizens and non-citizens of Duxbury showed up for a public forum on access to Duxbury Beach.  The meeting was called for by selectmen who wanted more feedback on the issue after hearing complaints from various sources.  During the two hour meeting, both sides largely debated the 250 resident/250 non-resident ratio of vehicles allowed on the beach at one time, with both groups at one time or another calling for more favorable numbers on their side.  After considering the feedback, the Beach Committee recommended no changes to selectmen.

Cranberry growers in Duxbury and other South Shore towns expressed their disappointment in a crop that was plagued with fruit rot and insects.  These latest troubles made four straight seasons farmers had to deal with either economic setbacks or bad crops.

Media and law enforcement officials from around the state converged on Duxbury to find a carjacker.  The crime began in Watertown where the driver was forced at gunpoint to drive south, eventually getting off Route 3 and pulling onto Lincoln St. where the armed suspect fled on foot.  Duxbury police quickly closed down streets and put officers in nearby neighborhoods; they were soon joined by officers from over half a dozen area towns to begin a massive manhunt.  The carjacker was never apprehended and the driver was unharmed.

In the first of a troubling trend early in the school year, a note was found promising the death of “innocent people” on October 9.  School officials sent home a letter to parents making them aware of the discovery and left it to their discretion whether or not to send their child to school.  Two-thirds of DHS students stayed home that day, which was also the Thursday before a four-day, Columbus Day weekend.  No incidents were reported.

A little over two weeks later, another note was discovered promising violence at a scheduled pep rally.   The latest note, again found at a residence in town, forced the postponement of the event.

Then, four days later, an envelope with white powder was mailed to the high school’s main office.  The envelope was opened by a member of the office staff, but the substance inside was later found to be harmless.

No suspects have been identified in any of the school-related threats to date, but police said investigations are ongoing.

<b>NOVEMBER</b>

To address the issues facing students and staff at Duxbury schools as well as the community in the wake of the three threats, a forum was held early in November at DHS to get feedback from the community on the events.  Nearly 100 people came to the forum to hear from Duxbury’s school and law enforcement officials as well as the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office on the threats, the action taken as a result and possible charges to anyone involved.

The debate over the Delano property in town began in November as members of the Duxbury Housing Authority made their stand to remain the managing body on the town-owned land. The group spoke out against article four slated for Special Town Meeting, which would in essence remove them as the manager and instead make the land “eligible” for any entity to make a proposal on a parcel of land on the property.  Housing authority chairwoman Linda Garrity presented selectmen with two courses of action by her committee if the article fails.  In addition to renovating the current house on the property as affordable housing, the group would also secure funding for a four-bedroom, single family group home or seek funds to build another single family home on the land.

At Special Town Meeting, voters seemed amenable to either option and indefinitely postponed action on article four, a clear statement to town officials and the housing authority to work out one of the options presented.  Voters also approved covering the $1.3 million dollar health fund deficit.  This move allowed the state to certify the town’s free cash to pay the deficit and balance the budget.

Special Town Meeting voters also approved funding for the collective bargaining agreement for the library union, closing the final chapter on a long contract battle between the town and librarians.

After just about six months as the A&P’s replacement on Depot St., officials from the Grand Union supermarket chain announced that the Duxbury location was closing.  To date, no announcement of a new tenant has been made.

In an ironic twist, the night before announcing their closing, Grand Union had finally gotten approval for one of the permanent signs it had fought for months over with the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The 40B application for Duxbury Farms turned into a numbers game, as developer Paul Cusson told the ZBA that while the original application called for 66 units, the group could work with a 55-unit plan “under negotiation.”  The West Duxbury Neighborhood Association also called for Cusson’s application to be null and void at the same meeting, indicating that the purchase price of three million dollars for the land was unfounded.

Also on the land front, the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts announced a purchase and sale agreement with Duxbury farmer and former fire chief Carl O’Neil for his 142-acre property.  The price tag for the purchase is $4.3 million and the non-profit organization indicated it would ask the town to contribute $1.5 million of Community Preservation Act funds to preserve the South Shore’s last working farm.

Members of the Conservation Commission finally approved revised orders of conditions for Duxbury Beach, months after opening them for changes.  The new orders put a lot more responsibility on the Duxbury Beach Reservation and the Harbormaster’s Office regarding beach management, but were praised by both sides as a beneficial review process.

In a letter to the Duxbury School Department, the Department of Education indicated that no state laws were broken when administrators gave parents the option of withdrawing a student before or in lieu of a decision to expel.  The committee voted in their September meeting to seek the DOE’s opinion on the matter after the investigation by their law firm came to the same conclusion.

Meanwhile, November saw an executive session appearance by School Counsel Robert Fraser to answer questions by the school committee into a perceived conflict of interest in his involvement in the school disciplinary investigation and his work on a 2000 textbook with former principal Wayne Ogden.  The meeting lasted nearly an hour and Chairwoman Carol Love said that no action was taken as a result of the meeting.

Two Duxbury students became the town’s latest nationally recognized writers.  DHS seniors Ryan Wyrtzen and Amanda Willis were acknowledged by the National Council of Teachers of English as two recipients of their 2003 Achievement Awards in Writing.

Also in the literary world, DuxburyÖan Album was released by the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society, featuring nearly 300 unpublished pictures and artifacts from the town’s past.

With the end of November came the news that Council on Aging Director Kristin Andrews was resigning her position to assume a similar role in the town of Plymouth. 

<b>DECEMBER</b>

The last month of 2003 began as a month of discoveries, both good and bad. 

Property taxes went up in Duxbury 3.6 percent, while the tax rate declined 6.1 percent to $11.33 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Financial discoveries of another sort were trouble for resident Paul Casey, one of over a dozen men with the same name to be the victim of identity threat.  Casey’s name was used to charge nearly $800 to two credit cards, while Representative Paul C. Casey of Winchester was the victim of over $18,000 false charges to accounts in his name.

A new supermarket suitor also surfaced for the vacant Grand Union store.  Jim McInnis of Village Market in Scituate and Roslindale said he was in negotiations to add a Duxbury store to his chain of grocery stores specializing in fresh produce and meats and natural foods.

But perhaps the greatest discovery of the month was that of the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society.  The group found the first known photograph of Duxbury’s “King Caesar,” Ezra Weston, Jr., that dates back to the 1840s.  The photo, also believed to be the earliest of the town, shows Weston Jr. standing near what is thought to be his shipyard by the Blue Fish River.

Selectmen adopted four of ten additions to its nuclear emergency plans submitted by the Nuclear Advisory Committee.  Among those not adopted the group wanted included were the mobilization of buses and vans in the event of an “alert” at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant as well as ensuring that buses stationed at the Chandler school are used for Duxbury residents only and not Plymouth residents, which could happen.

Early December also saw the arrival of Governor Mitt Romney to the Sun Tavern for a fundraiser for Representative Daniel Webster.  Romney called for the need for both political parties to work together for the people of the Commonwealth.

Local legislators also weighed in on the Supreme Judicial Court’s announcement saying that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.  Webster was joined by Representative Tom O’Brien and Senator Robert Hedlund in supporting more of a civil union, with benefits, for gay and lesbian couples as opposed to civil marriage.  Legislators are scheduled to discuss the issue further, including possible amendments to the state’s constitution, in February.

A few days after Romney came to town, so did Duxbury’s first significant snowstorm before the beginning of winter.  The Nor’easter dumped 15 inches of snow on the town, causing many to stay home over the weekend versus testing the roads during a full weekend of bad weather.

Duxbury seniors made their own case not to stay in their homes year ëround, announcing that they were working to collect funds for a new senior bus.  The current bus, “Sadie,” has accumulated over 135,000 miles in bringing seniors from their homes to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores and the Duxbury Senior Center.  To help seniors maintain their independence, the Sadie’s Bus Fund Committee is seeking citizen support to help buy a new bus.

Saying it was the most arduous budget done since his arrival in Duxbury, Town Manager Rocco Longo presented selectmen with a budget 4.5 percent less than FY 04.  In addition to reduced hours for several town employees, Longo proposed cuts of six percent for human services, which includes the Council on Aging, and five percent cuts in the schools and library and recreation budgets.   Longo’s proposal also leaves the town with $500,000 in its free cash savings account.

The end of the month also brought the end of seats on the school committee for Carol Love and Neil Johnson.  Love, who has spent 11 years on the committee, and Johnson, who has spent six years, both announced they will not run for re-election in March.

The holiday spirit was not felt by some town officials and members of the Duxbury Housing Authority, who continued to work out plans for the Delano property.  The week before Christmas, the two sides feuded at Town Hall over a meeting the housing authority thought was a public hearing, but Selectmen Chairwoman Betsy Sullivan said was merely a “work session” to hand over a new lease.  The two sides will continue this year to get a family into the current house on the property as well as working to build a new structure on another parcel of the land for affordable housing.